Bilal Powell facts for kids
Powell in the 2017 NFL season.
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| No. 29 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | October 27, 1988 Lakeland, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 204 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Lake Gibson (Lakeland, Florida) |
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| College: | Louisville (2007–2010) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2011 / Round: 4 / Pick: 126 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Bilal Matan Powell (born October 27, 1988) is an American former professional football player. He was a talented running back in the National Football League (NFL). Powell played his entire professional career with the New York Jets from 2011 to 2019. He is known as one of the top running backs in the Jets' history.
Bilal grew up in Lakeland, Florida. He was an amazing football player in high school. He then played college football for the Louisville Cardinals. In 2011, the New York Jets picked him in the NFL Draft.
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Early Life and High School Football
Bilal Powell attended Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland, Florida. He was a star player on the high school football team. He earned second-team all-state honors. This means he was one of the best players in the entire state! After high school, he chose to play college football at the University of Louisville.
College Football Journey
Powell played college football for the Louisville Cardinals. He was with the team from 2007 to 2010. He worked hard and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 2017.
During his time at Louisville, Powell was a key player. He finished his college career with 2,338 rushing yards. He also scored 19 touchdowns. In his final year, 2010, he had an amazing season. He set a school record with 1,405 rushing yards in a single season. He also helped his team win the 2010 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl. Because of his great performance, he was named to the All-Big East first-team. He also received honors from Phil Steele as a fourth-team All-American.
College Stats: How He Performed
Here's a look at Bilal Powell's college football statistics:
| Season | Team | Rushing | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | TD | ||
| 2007 | Louisville | 24 | 187 | 7.8 | 2 | 3 | 25 | 0 |
| 2008 | Louisville | 75 | 354 | 4.7 | 2 | 12 | 58 | 0 |
| 2009 | Louisville | 108 | 392 | 3.6 | 4 | 12 | 103 | 0 |
| 2010 | Louisville | 229 | 1,405 | 6.1 | 11 | 18 | 158 | 3 |
| Total | 436 | 2,338 | 5.4 | 19 | 45 | 344 | 3 | |
Becoming a Pro: NFL Career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Bench press | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 10+1⁄2 in (1.79 m) |
207 lb (94 kg) |
30+7⁄8 in (0.78 m) |
8+3⁄4 in (0.22 m) |
4.51 s | 1.53 s | 2.64 s | 18 reps | |||||
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Joining the New York Jets
The New York Jets picked Bilal Powell in the 2011 NFL Draft. He was the 126th player chosen overall. This meant he was the 14th running back picked that year. On July 29, 2011, Powell signed his first professional contract. It was a four-year deal.
Powell made his NFL debut on November 17, 2011. He played against the Denver Broncos. In his first season, he played in two games. He ran for 21 yards and caught one pass.
Key Moments and Achievements
Bilal Powell played 109 games for the Jets from 2011 to 2019. He started 38 of those games. He rushed for a total of 3,675 yards and scored 15 touchdowns.
- 2012 Season: Powell started to show his skills. He scored his first multiple-touchdown game against the St. Louis Rams. He finished the season with 437 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns.
- 2013 Season: This was a strong year for Powell. He rushed for a career-high 149 yards in one game against the Buffalo Bills. He ended the season with 697 rushing yards.
- 2016 Season: Powell had an outstanding year. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry, which was the second-best in the entire NFL! He rushed for 722 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also caught 58 passes for 388 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. He even scored a game-winning touchdown in overtime against the San Francisco 49ers.
- 2017 Season: This was his most productive season for rushing yards. He gained a career-high 772 rushing yards. He also scored 5 rushing touchdowns. In one game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he rushed for 163 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown run!
Powell continued to play for the Jets through the 2019 season. He was the longest-serving active player on the team in November 2019. He left the Jets with the eighth-most rushing yards in the team's history. After not playing in 2020 and 2021, Bilal Powell officially retired as a New York Jet on April 26, 2022.
NFL Career Stats: His Pro Numbers
Here are Bilal Powell's professional NFL career statistics:
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Y/G | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2011 | NYJ | 2 | 0 | 13 | 21 | 1.6 | 10.5 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | NYJ | 14 | 2 | 110 | 437 | 4.0 | 31.2 | 18 | 4 | 17 | 140 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | NYJ | 16 | 11 | 176 | 697 | 4.0 | 43.6 | 39 | 1 | 36 | 272 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 | NYJ | 15 | 1 | 33 | 141 | 4.3 | 9.4 | 15 | 1 | 11 | 92 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | NYJ | 11 | 2 | 70 | 313 | 4.5 | 28.5 | 24 | 1 | 47 | 388 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2016 | NYJ | 16 | 4 | 131 | 722 | 5.5 | 45.1 | 35 | 3 | 58 | 388 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2017 | NYJ | 15 | 10 | 178 | 772 | 4.3 | 51.5 | 75 | 5 | 23 | 170 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2018 | NYJ | 7 | 7 | 80 | 343 | 4.3 | 49.0 | 38 | 0 | 11 | 110 | 28 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2019 | NYJ | 13 | 1 | 59 | 229 | 3.9 | 17.6 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 33 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 109 | 38 | 850 | 3,675 | 4.3 | 33.7 | 75 | 15 | 211 | 1,600 | 36 | 5 | 8 | 3 | |
Life After Football
Bilal Powell is a Christian. He has four children. After his playing career, Powell became an assistant football coach. He now coaches at St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky.
